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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How does Joseph react when Triton shortens the broom handle?
(a) Locks him in the basement.
(b) Laughs good-naturedly.
(c) Buys a new broom.
(d) Complains bitterly.

2. The cashier experiences technical difficulties with what?
(a) Electronic till.
(b) Jumper cables.
(c) Paint drying unit.
(d) Pressurized hose.

3. How long has the narrator been out of Sri Lanka?
(a) Less than a month.
(b) More than twenty years.
(c) Three years.
(d) Twelve years.

4. How far away is Sri Lanka from England?
(a) Two thousand eight hundred miles.
(b) A thousand miles.
(c) Six thousand miles.
(d) Four hundred miles.

5. When the cashier mentions the part of Sri Lanka that he's from, what does the narrator think of?
(a) Jasmine flowers.
(b) Gold coins.
(c) Pearls.
(d) Oysters.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does Triton seek refuge in the kitchen?

2. What languages does the cashier say he speaks?

3. How does Triton try to protect himself from Joseph when he's left alone with him in the house?

4. When the narrator and cashier meet, what is happening in Sri Lanka?

5. When the narrator and the cashier strike up a conversation, what does the narrator want to know?

Short Essay Questions

1. At the end of the first section, what does the narrator begin to talk about with the gas station cashier?

2. What happens in 1962, when Triton's narration begins?

3. Describe the Volkswagen introduced in the first part of the book.

4. When Mr. Salgado leaves for a weekend trip to his cousin's tea estate, what additional responsibilities does he give Triton?

5. Through which character does the author choose to reveal the changing sociopolitical landscape of Sri Lanka across many decades?

6. At the start of the story, who does the narrator speak with?

7. What happens when Mr. Salgado returns home from his trip to the tea estate?

8. In "Part 1, Kolla", why is Triton left alone in Mr. Salgado's house?

9. Describe the relationship between Triton and Joseph.

10. Where does this story begin?

(see the answer keys)

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